The invention relates to a method and apparatus for autotransfusion of a patient's blood which has been shed during the course of a surgical procedure. Reinfusing a patient's own (autogenous) blood has many advantages over the use of banked blood. The use of autogenous blood minimizes the risk of transmission of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and transfusion hepatitis. Autotransfusion may minimize the monetary costs associated with transfusing banked blood. Transfusion of banked blood may result in imunologic reactions to foreign proteins, a phenomenon which does not occur with autogenous blood.
Autotransfusion, as a procedure, has not been novel for some time. Duncan described the reinfusion of a patient's own blood after a crush injury to the legs from a railway accident (Duncan J.: On Reinfusion of Blood in Primary and other amputations. Br. Med. J. 1:192, 1886). Duncan collected the blood in a dish containing soda phosphate and then reinfused the blood into the patient. Since the time of Duncan, many autotransfusion systems have been devised. The Bentley pump (Raines J., Buth J., Brewster D. C., Darling R. C.: Intraoperative Autotransfusion. Equipment, Protocols, and Guidelines. J. Trauma 16:616-23, 1976) utilizes a roller pump to aspirate blood into a collection reservoir (Benley Laboratories, Inc., Irving, Calif.). The Sorensen unit (Noon G. P., Solis R. T., Natelson E. A.: A Simple Method for Intraoperative Autotransfusion. Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics 143:65-70, 1976) requires a special suction tip which mixes anticoagulant with the blood (Sorensen Research Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah).) The New York Times (Business Technology - Sept. 16, 1987) has reported a danger in autotransfusion caused by injecting bubbles or other impurities into the patient's bloodstream.
These and other devices are also described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. Dyer 3,492,991; Perkins 3,585,995; Rosenberg 3,896,733; Swank 3,965,896; Sorenson 4,006,745 and 4,033,345; Welch 4,014,329; Reynolds 4,047,526; Kurtz 4,424,053, 4,500,308 and 4,501,581; Hauer 4,443,220; VerKaart 4,466,888; Miles 4,540,406 and 4,551,131; Ruhland 4,564,359 and 4,655,740; Marx 4,573,992; Reed 4,631,050 and Gunter 4,642,088.
In general the prior art devices are relatively complex, which is a disadvantage from the point of view of manufacture and use. In terms of usage, complexity necessitates the presence of a specialized technician, which carries unfavorable cost implications. Likewise, from the point of view of manufacturing, complexity also carries unfavorable cost implications. At least some prior art devices are considered dangerous.
Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide an autotransfuser which is both simple and inexpensive to manufacture and, at the same time, simple and inexpensive to use.
It is another object to provide a device which is efficient and controls the flow of blood to the patient to reduce he risk to the patient.